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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28866555">I'ma Stand Tall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/localspacelesbian/pseuds/localspacelesbian'>localspacelesbian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Fluff, Gen, Songwriting, i wrote this today instead of working, rose is a good mother, stand tall, stand tall is about carrie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:08:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28866555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/localspacelesbian/pseuds/localspacelesbian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Julie comes home upset about Carrie, Rose helps her put her feelings to music.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Julie Molina &amp; Julie Molina's Mother, Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'ma Stand Tall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rose stopped playing when she heard the doors to the studio fly open. Her daughter walked in and started pacing, fidgeting with the many bracelets on her wrists. "Julie? Are you ok?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie ran her hands through her hair. "Finally figured out why Carrie was acting weird all summer."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh?" She remembered the nights spent comforting her daughter after Carrie had yet again canceled plans. She'd have marched right down to the Wilson house and given both Carrie and her father a piece of her mind if she thought it would do any good. As it was, all she could do was be there for her daughter. "What happened?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She started her own dance group. Without us. Without even </span>
  <em>
    <span>telling </span>
  </em>
  <span>us. And it’s not like we would have had a problem with it, but she </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied</span>
  </em>
  <span> to us. For </span>
  <em>
    <span>months</span>
  </em>
  <span>." She stopped her pacing and finally looked up at her mom. "Mom, I feel like I'm losing her." There were tears in her eyes threatening to overflow, and she looked down at her feet. “Or maybe I already have,” She added quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose opened her arms. "Come here, baby." Julie came over and sat on the bench next to her mom. Rose put her arm around her. "I know it hurts, and I can't promise that Carrie will suddenly turn around and start being a better friend, but I can promise you that you'll be ok. And whatever happens, you'll always have me. And your father and Carlos and Flynn. I know it feels like you're alone, but you aren't, and you never will be. Losing a friend is painful, but you are strong, and I know that whatever happens, you will step into your greatness and stand tall."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie looked up at her. "How can you be so sure?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose smiled down at her daughter. "Because I know you." Struck with an idea, she took her arm back, so she could place both hands on the piano in front of her. "Here." She started playing a melody, making it up as she went along. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever happens, even if you're the last standing…</span>
  </em>
  <span>" She looked back at Julie expectantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Julie sang quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose smiled teasingly. "What was that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie tried again, with more force this time. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose grinned and continued. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever happens, even when everything's down…</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall, I'ma stand tall.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You gotta keep on dreaming, ‘cause you gotta catch that feeling…</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever happens, even if I'm the last standing, I'ma stand tall, I'ma stand tall…</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose stopped playing and put her arms around her daughter again, pulling her into a hug. "See what I mean? You, Julie Molina, are a star, and you deserve better than Carrie Wilson. So what are you going to do next time she lies to you or blows you off?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'ma stand tall?” Julie guessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose grinned and went back to the piano, the music flowing out of her as it always did when she was inspired, especially with her daughter right by her side, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't blink, no, you don't want to miss it. One thing, and it's back to the beginning.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>'Cause everything is rushing in fast,</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Julie added. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose smiled softly. She knew that feeling well, and it hurt to see her daughter go through it, but she knew she could do it. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Keep going on, never look back, and it's one, two, three, four… </span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Times that I'll try for one more night, light a fire in my eyes.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” And there it was. The fire back in Julie’s eyes that always showed up when she performed. Then, she laughed through the next line, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm going out of my mind!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose grinned and went back to what she'd decided would make a great chorus, and Julie joined in as if reading her mind:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Whatever happens</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Even if I'm the last standing</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever happens</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Even when everything's down</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I gotta keep on dreaming</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>'Cause I gotta catch that feeling</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever happens</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Even if I'm the last standing</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I'ma stand tall!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They held out the last note together, an unspoken competition to see who could hold it longer. Rose won, but just by a second before they both broke out into giggles. She put her arm around Julie again and looked down at her. “Feeling better?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie nodded. “Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose shrugged. “Music always helps.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment was broken by the doors opening again. Ray poked his head in. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were just messing around,” Rose said, sharing a look with her daughter, setting them both off giggling again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled at them. “Any chance either of you know where I left my keys? I gotta pick up Carlos from baseball practice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose and Julie shared a look, shaking their heads affectionately. “I think I saw them in the kitchen,” Julie said, standing up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she left, Rose asked her to toss her the notebook and pencil that were sitting on the coffee table. “I want to write down those lyrics. I think we have an anthem here. Maybe we can finish it up later?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie nodded as she handed Rose the items she’d requested. “I’d like that.” Then, she followed her dad back to the house to help him find his keys.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>They never did get a chance to finish the song together. Julie found it one day in the studio, amongst other songs her mom had written, songs the two had written together. It wasn’t the only one unfinished, but it stuck out to her, and as she held that paper in her arms, she thought back to that day, about her mom using music not just to comfort her, but to get her feelings out of her in a way nothing else could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard the sound of a ghost poofing in behind her, and she knew it was Luke. They’d been writing together almost nonstop since she’d agreed to join their band (or rather, let </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> join </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> band), and today they had another writing session planned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Julie?” He got her attention softly. “You ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded and finally turned around. “Yeah, I just found one of the songs my mom and I started working on before…” She trailed off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded and took it from her, reading through it. “This is really good.” He looked up. “How come you guys never finished it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged. “I guess we never got around to it. That kind of happened a lot.” She gestured toward the stack of papers on the table behind her. “It’s not like we ever thought we’d perform them for anyone outside of our family. I don’t think even my mom could have predicted me joining a ghost band.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think she’d mind if we finished it?” He was hesitant, but he had a look in his eyes that she was already beginning to recognize, and she knew he was itching to get his hands on a guitar or a pencil, lyrics or notes or both racing through his brain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded, smiling at him. “I think she’d love to see it finished.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned back, and they were at the piano in seconds, the song and a pencil in front of them and Luke’s guitar within reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Alex and Reggie found them later, hunched over the song together, almost but never quite touching, it was nearly finished, the drum and bass parts all that were left. Julie could only they were doing the song justice and she wasn’t just imagining the feeling of her mom looking down at her in pride.</span>
</p>
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